Saturday, January 03, 2009

Three Days Into New Year!

Wow, January 3rd and I finally made it to spin class. What I really wanted to do was ride my bike today but the weather is still being very uncooperative. It snowed again yesterday and although the temperature is creeping back into the 40s it wasn't enough to melt all the snow today. Besides the snow there's the sand, not safe for a cyclist. If the sun comes out tomorrow I may ride on the Orting Trail. I'll just have to wait and see I guess but at least I went to the 8:00 AM spin class this morning.

I guess I should explain my goals for this new year. My big goal is to ride and complete the 128 mile Native Planet Classic on June 20th. I have six months to get ready for this event. My plan is to continue to go to spin class until the weather and roads improve. Spin class should keep my legs strong and help me build and maintain my cardio. But I will need to ride outdoors and increase my mileage this spring. I will also need to begin riding a lot of hills to train for the climbing I will be doing on the 128 mile ride this June. Did I mention the course is over the north cascade highway? And the total elevation gain for the ride is over 10,500 feet! I have my work cut out for me but this is the year I get back in shape. So the June 20th ride is my big goal but I have other goals too. To ride at least 4-5 times a week. To do one long ride every weekend if not two. To ride on a hilly course every week. To build my stamina and endurance. To increase my average speed.